help on kids citizenship

[wildwln]

i cant seem to access info concerning my particular situation so i will try here and i appreciate your repsonses=
i am a Canadian citizen born and bred..i lived in canada till 1974 then began college in Utah, USA the same year. As things progressed i ended up marrying a US Citizen and began living in Utah, USA exclusively...in 1983 our first son was born and two years later in 1985 our second son was born- both born in Utah, USA to a Canadian father and American mother...i have lived with my two sons since the day they were born right up to present however due to Family issues i am returning up to Canada to live...

My basic question then is what is the process, how do i get it started, to get the documentation going to have both my sons claim their Canadian Citizenship and basically become dual citizens of Canada and USA?...they are planning on accompanying me up there just for a brief stay and returning to USA until i get proper paper work done. I will be in Lethbridge Alberta and so do i just go into the local CIC office there and begin the paper work?...should i have both sons Birth Certs with me at the time?...Would it be adviseable to have them both there in person to begin the process?...Is it a lenghty process to get them declared Canadian Citizens?..What difference would it be to have them declared as Permanent Residents vrs Canadian Citizens?..

your help is appreciated~

[Leon]

They can apply for their proof of citizenship through the mail, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/proof.asp 

They would go through the Canadian embassy closest to where they live.  You will notice that the processing time stated is over a year.  If they have plans to move to Canada, they can ask for their citizenship cards to be expedited and they would get them faster.  Once they get the citizenship cards, they can get Canadian passports.

It is not an option for you to apply for their PR.  One of the reasons is that they are already citizens, the other is that even if they weren't, they are too old to be sponsored for PR, they are not dependent children any more.

[wildwln]

wow very helpful information, thank you very much!